$4.5 Billion Scam: Fugitive Businessman Suspected to Be Hiding in Shanghai

Jho Low Resurfaces? Billion-Dollar Fugitive Allegedly Living in Shanghai Under Fake Identity.

Fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho—better known as Jho Low—is allegedly living in a luxurious mansion in Shanghai’s ultra-exclusive Green Hills neighbourhood, according to investigative journalists Bradley Hope and Tom Wright. In a recent livestream titled Finding Jho Low, the duo claimed Low is using a forged Australian passport under the name Constantinos Achilles Veis and continues to evade global authorities.

Low has been on the run since 2015, wanted in connection with the massive 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, one of the world’s biggest financial frauds involving the misappropriation of over US$4.5 billion. An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him in 2018, and he remains a high-priority target for both Malaysia and the United States.

Best known for his opulent lifestyle, Low allegedly used stolen 1MDB funds to acquire luxury properties across the U.S., rare art, a private jet, and even a superyacht. He also made headlines for financing Hollywood films, most notably Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, unaware of the illicit origins of the funds, famously thanked Low in his 2014 Golden Globes speech.

The latest claim about Low’s whereabouts has revived global interest in his case. Citing newly uncovered documents and sources, Hope and Wright alleged that Low now operates covertly as a strategic advisor to Chinese companies, including those under international sanctions, helping them navigate global financial restrictions.

Despite the renewed attention, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated his government has yet to receive official confirmation of Low’s alleged presence in China. “I have no information; we have yet to receive anything. Let me check,” Anwar told reporters in Penang on Saturday, as quoted by The Star.

Hope and Wright, former Wall Street Journal reporters, co-authored the bestselling exposé Billion Dollar Whale, which chronicled Low’s rise and fall. Their new revelations may mark a turning point in the years-long international manhunt for the elusive billionaire.